I am way more familiar with cars than bikes so here is my question. On a sportster (Evo engine obvously) how many lubricants are in the bike. Just the two right. The main oil which is the oil tank and crankcase and the transmission / primary which is gear lube. I am a little confused because when I read some of the Harley tech tips on the web they are usually talking about the big bikes and they mention the crankcase , primary , and transmission fluids. To me this sounds like three separate oils to change. On the sportster the transmission and the primary are the same thing right and on the bigger bikes its separated ? I just did my 5000 mile maintenance and don't want to miss anything. I change out the main oil drain hose at underside of frame below clutch case and the transmission fluid. Is there a primary fluid that needs to be changed as well or is that just in the bigger bikes ?

 

You have it right. The sporty only has 2 fluids to change, engine & tranny.

 

Thank you very much. Its been drving me nuts and I have not had a chance to talk with the service dept. The cars oil system I know inside and out. But this bike has me a little confused thanks for straighting it out.

Does the crank rotate in a bath of oil like a car ? I only ask because it seems like only the oil from the tank is draining during an oil change and the crankcase oil (maby there is very little of it ) does not drain out. How does that work ?

 

Your crankcase is basically a dry sump. Oil is pumped to the crankcase and returnedto the tank.